Externalisation of EU borders #3 - interviews with Reduan and Mark Akkerman

Working together across privilege

In this 3. program about the externalisation of EU border policies, we will be bringing you an interview with research at Stop Wapenhandel, Mark Akkerman. We will talk about the companies who profit from the policy of externalisation, how some achieve double-gain of the so-called refugee crises and come to establish themselves as counciling experts in EU. In second part of the program, we will talk with Reduan an activist in Ceuta, one of the Spanish enclaves on the African mainland with border to Morocco. As part of the externalisation policies of the EU, Morocco has what is called 'advanced status partnership' with Europe since 2001 which gives political advantages in trade and political affairs. The European Union accounts for more than half of Morocco’s trade and EU provides morocco with billions of Euro in aid for security and development. The border between Morocco and Spain is one of the most fortified borders of the EU and one that has served as a laboratory for EU’s policies of externalization proving inspiration for the EU-Turkey agreement for example. Redaun is part of watchthemed (an online mapping platform to monitor the deaths and violations of migrants' rights at the maritime borders of the EU) and Alarm phone (a hotline for people’s boat in distress, pushing authorities to carry out rescue missions). He also does media work around the situation in the Spanish colonies. We have asked him about his work in Ceuta and how he sees the situation there. Thanks to Daniel Cariola for the translation. Links to research by Mark Akkerman:' - Expanding the Fortress, https://www.tni.org/en/publication/expanding-the-fortress - How the security industry reaps the rewards of E.U. migration control https://www.tni.org/en/article/how-the-security-industry-reaps-the-rewards-of-eu-migration-control